Recommended expert

Stefan Schröder

Interim Director Finance / CFO

Stefan Schröder
Langenfeld (Rheinland), Germany

Experience

Sep 2023 - Nov 2024
1 year 3 months

Interim Director Finance / CFO

Hemovent GmbH

  • Transition of processes from garage-style to series production
  • Establishment of financial processes including monthly reporting to the Chinese parent company
  • Development of long-term planning (5/10 years) and budgets for 2024 and 2025
  • Ensuring sufficient financing
  • Creation and implementation of a restructuring plan with over 60% reduction in staff and costs
Apr 2023 - Aug 2023
5 months

Interim-CFO

SVT GmbH

  • Assumption of the duties of a vacated position, including reporting to the private equity firm and consolidation of foreign units
  • Establishment of effective project controlling
  • Improvement of ERP system usage (ams.erp)
  • Working capital optimization through inventory reduction and receivables management
Jan 2023 - Mar 2023
3 months

Interim support for M&A transactions

Private Equity firms

  • Support for distressed acquisitions
  • Continuation of initiated buy-and-build projects
Sep 2022 - Dec 2022
4 months

Interim Head of Finance

Heubach GmbH

  • Transition of the old corporate structure into the new merged setup with adjusted planning and reporting processes
  • Implementation of IFRS and switch of consolidation to LucaNet
  • Development of infrastructure for the parent holding with SAP company codes and workflows
  • Adjustment of finance/controlling department structure, leading to the future removal of the "Head of Finance" position
Jan 2022 - May 2022
5 months

Interim-CRO

KWE Klein & Wilhelm Engineering GmbH

  • Situation analysis on behalf of the owner and development of business planning and a strategic concept
  • Clearing backlog in the technical office and production
  • Introduction of a new organizational structure with business units
  • Appointment of a new production management and implementation of a shift system and multi-machine operation
  • Introduction of capacity planning in the technical office
  • Improvement of the working capital position
  • Implementation of the ERP system (AP+)
Dec 2020 - Dec 2021
1 year 1 month

Interim support for transactions

Private equity firms

  • Conducting financial due diligence
  • Developing buy & build concepts
  • Supporting insolvency acquisitions
Nov 2019 - Nov 2020
1 year 1 month

CEO / CFO

Virotech Diagnostics GmbH

  • Combining Virotech with sister company NovaTec, including relocation, merger, stakeholder reconciliation, and social plan
  • Capturing synergies and developing, producing, and marketing a COVID-19 test
  • Increasing the production volume eightfold by using an 'extended workbench'
  • Transferring finance functions to the parent company's shared service center
Apr 2019 - May 2020
1 year 2 months

CFO / Commercial Managing Director

W.I.S. Group

  • Developing and implementing a restructuring concept
  • Reorganizing financial processes and bringing accounting and HR services back in-house
  • Building an internal finance department for 16 legal entities and 4000 payrolls per month, including the system environment (DATEV/LODAS with BI integration)
  • Eliminating operating losses in the first year
Feb 2019 - Apr 2019
3 months

Interim CRO

B2B trade of printer accessories and IT equipment

  • Preparing a going-concern forecast including a recovery plan
Aug 2018 - Jan 2019
6 months

Interim COO

RailMaint GmbH

  • Improving production processes and shop floor layout
  • Introducing a shift system
  • Establishing a 'fast-lane' production
  • Taking over project management of a critical large-scale project worth €24 million
Apr 2018 - Jul 2018
4 months

Interim CRO

Verpackungsindustrie

  • Supporting restructuring experts in the preparation according to IDW S6
  • Developing a restructuring plan and managing banks as well as preparing refinancing
  • Initiating a comprehensive profit improvement program
  • Negotiating with a machinery supplier regarding compensation payments
Aug 2017 - Dec 2017
5 months

CFO / Commercial Managing Director

WBN Waggonbau Niesky GmbH

  • Analyzing the situation on behalf of the shareholder and recommending necessary corrective actions
  • Identifying the issues and outlining a path to a solution
  • Communicating with top customers and negotiating compromises on deadlines, cancellations, and penalties
  • Replacing production management and initiating improvements
Aug 2015 - Aug 2017
2 years 1 month

CEO / CFO

ND SatCom GmbH

  • Saving the company despite heavy losses and a cash burn of €5M p.a., massive delays in the new "Modem 5G" development, and a weak sales pipeline
  • Removing the existing management without replacement and making extensive staff cuts without losing know-how
  • Initiating and implementing a cost reduction program
  • Completing the new satellite modem after almost two years of delay
  • Reorganizing into business units (Defence, Satellite Networks, Broadcast)
  • Turning around the loss-making foreign units in Beijing and Dubai
Feb 2014 - Aug 2015
1 year 7 months

Group Controller

Quantum Capital Partners

  • Integrating company acquisitions, including setting up and outsourcing financial IT departments
  • Establishing an overall monitoring and reporting structure for all units
  • Collaboratively developing and implementing business strategies
  • General financial optimization and restructuring within the units
Jan 2013 - Nov 2013
11 months

Interim CFO

Langbein & Engelbracht GmbH

  • Leading and restructuring the commercial departments (accounting, finance, controlling, IT, purchasing, order processing, HR)
  • Taking over responsibility for the paper industry division
  • Creating transparency for shareholders and building effective control tools
  • Turning around the loss-making paper industry division within three months
  • Significantly improving the working capital position and initiating a cost reduction program (-24%)
May 2011 - Jan 2013
1 year 9 months

CEO / CFO

HERING AG

  • Performed a situation analysis for the main shareholder and recommended necessary corrective actions
  • Assumed the responsibilities of the released management team
  • Turned around the losses by changing the product mix
  • Provided transparency for shareholders and enhanced unique selling points, especially by growing the US market (ASME)
  • Further optimized and automated processes, e.g., CAD/ERP integration
Aug 2009 - Apr 2011
1 year 9 months

Managing Partner / CEO / CFO

pamino-Gruppe

  • General restructuring including strategic realignment
  • Streamlined product range and adjusted sales structure
  • Built effective control tools and initiated planning processes
  • Switched product and production to the click system, achieving a 30% increase in domestic sales
  • Improved cash position through inventory reduction, property sales and a pool agreement
  • Implemented a cost reduction program for direct and indirect costs (-16%)
Oct 2003 - Aug 2009
5 years 11 months

CEO / CFO

HERING AG

  • Rescued and led a heavily loss-making mid-sized company
  • Strategically realigned and restructured all areas
  • Established control tools and implemented an ERP system (AMS++)
  • Cleaned up the customer base based on contribution margins
  • Returned to profitability within one year and doubled sales from 2003 to 2008 with improved margins
  • Reduced material usage by 30% through product redesign and halved lead times
  • Significantly improved the financial situation, including factoring, a guarantee line and sale-and-lease-back
  • Cut direct and indirect costs by up to 25% and eliminated negative equity
May 2002 - Dec 2003
1 year 8 months

Head of Finance & Administration

Mediolanum S.p.A. / Bankhaus August Lenz

  • Built a banking platform to sell banking, insurance and fund products through Bankhaus August Lenz
  • Designed all functions including accounting, regulatory reporting, payroll, customer service and marketing in cooperation with Accenture
  • Took over line functions after market entry in April 2003
Jul 2001 - Apr 2002
10 months

Manager / Authorized Signatory / Audit Manager

Arthur Andersen

  • Provided strategic consulting and market entry concepts
  • Offered business management consulting and process optimizations
  • Advised on audits and implemented risk concepts
  • Conducted due diligence projects and company valuations
  • Carried out annual financial audits
Nov 1995 - Jun 2001
5 years 8 months

Manager Internal Control & Financial Control

Citibank

  • Supported the setup of the new Operations Center (Bahncard/VISA)
  • Monitored and optimized business processes
  • Planned and coordinated all audit activities
  • Introduced a self-assessment process
  • From August 2000, additionally led Financial Control with 16 staff for accounting, payment processing, and cash management of the group entities, including Diners Club and Card Acceptance Belgium
Jun 1992 - Oct 1995
3 years 5 months

Internal Audit / Process Improvement

Coca-Cola

  • Supported Coca-Cola's largest investment ever
  • Set up several production and distribution sites in the new federal states, restructuring former trust-owned companies
  • Developed and implemented an internal control system and optimized business processes
  • Completed multi-month assignments for the international Corporate Audit Department
Feb 1991 - May 1992
1 year 4 months

Assistant / Audit Manager

Arthur Andersen

  • Provided consulting and audit services to medium-sized companies for annual financial statement audits
  • Developed and implemented restructuring plans
  • Introduced management information systems
  • Prepared financial, profit and loss, and cash flow statements

Summary

  • 33 years of work experience across different industries such as mechanical and plant engineering, consumer goods manufacturing, banking and consulting
  • 13 years of solid finance career in top international companies like Arthur Andersen, Coca-Cola, Citibank and Banca Mediolanum
  • 25 years in leadership roles, including 14 years as managing director with CFO responsibilities
  • Strong change management skills from 20 years of restructuring experience
  • 20 years in private equity environment (M&A, due diligence, carve-out, integration)
  • High technical affinity from 18 years of experience in technology companies

Skills

  • Confident At Spotting Business Opportunities, Crisis Causes And Process Weaknesses

  • Rapidly Winning Over Often Unsettled Teams

  • Quick Development And Implementation Of Suitable Growth And Solution Concepts

  • Level-headed Approach Even In Critical Situations

  • Leadership By Empowerment: Strong Sense Of Employees' Potential, Building Highly Successful Management Teams

  • Pragmatic, Hands-on And Decisive

  • Proficient With Various Erp/bi Systems: Sap, Ams, Navision, Datev

  • Highly Proficient With Office Suites Including Ms Project

Languages

German
Advanced
English
Advanced
Spanish
Elementary
French
Elementary
Italian
Elementary

Education

Nov 1984 - Nov 1989

University of Erlangen-Nuremberg

Diploma in Business Administration · Business Administration · Erlangen, Germany

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